DAHLONEGA – A brace from Grace McGill and a first-half goal from Nina Lopez set the No. 17 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's soccer team up for a 3-2 win against Montevallo on Saturday evening.
After an hour and a half lightning delay, the Nighthawks (3-1) took the field against an undefeated Montevallo squad that had scored eight goals in its first two games of the season. The Falcons maintained early possession of the ball in their attacking third, firing off five shots against Kayleigh Marreel in the first 22 minutes.
With 22:15 remaining in the first half, UNG responded to the Falcons with their leading goal scorer. Lopez laced a right-footed strike from the top of the box and slotted the ball into the top left corner of the goal to put the Nighthawks in front.
North Georgia's defense dialed in for the final 20 minutes of the first half, limiting the Falcons to just one more shot before the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room, it did not take long for the Nighthawks to find a rhythm in the attacking third. Less than four minutes into the second half, Campbell Young chipped the ball into the box, finding an unmarked McGill who put a header past the keeper to push the lead to two.
Moments later, McGill would make the defense pay once more. A sliding pass from Chloe Diaz on the right side of the box made its way to a charging McGill, who buried another goal to extend the advantage to 3-0. In a matter of four minutes, McGill had built a one-goal lead for the Nighthawks to three.
Montevallo made things interesting, as Ayla Ertekin pushed a shot past Marreel to net the first Falcon goal with 12 minutes remaining. Just five minutes later, Ertekin struck again for her second goal of the night to cut the North Georgia lead down to just one.
The Nighthawks' defense stepped up and limited Montevallo to just two more shots to hold on for the victory.
McGill and Lopez led the way for the Nighthawks with the trio of goals, accounting for eight of UNG's 14 shots. Lopez netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season, while McGill recorded a brace for the second time in her career.
Ertekin paced Montevallo's (2-1) comeback effort with a brace and five shots.
The Nighthawks will be back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 9 against Tusculum at 4 p.m. back at the UNG Soccer Field.
